NEW! The Panhandle Trail now has its own website: http://www.panhandletrail.org/

The Panhandle Trail is named after the Panhandle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the abandoned rail line upon which it is being built. When completely finished, the trail will stretch for 29 miles between Walkers Mill (3 miles west of Carnegie, PA), and Weirton, WV.

The 6.8-mile portion of the trail in Allegheny County opened in 2001, and is currently managed by the Montour Trail Council. Flood damage from September 2004 has been repaired, and all of this section is again open for public use. 8.1 miles now have improved surface between Walker's Mill Road in Collier Township and Noblestown Road in Primrose, Washington County.
Parking is available at:

• Walkers Mill Road in Walker's Mill, Collier Twp
  (36 combined parking spaces in 2 lots on both sides of Walker's Mill + 2 handicapped spaces on asphalt, heavy use, mostly asphalt surface, water fountain, portable toilet, shelter, tables)
• Sunnyside Avenue in Rennerdale, Collier Twp
  (shelter, tables)
• Gregg Station Road at Gregg Station, Collier Twp
  (20 parking spaces(on gravel) + 2 handicapped spaces on concrete, light use, portable toilet, shelter, tables)
• Union Avenue (SR 980) in Oakdale Borough
  (50+ parking spaces(on gravel), moderate use, water fountain near gazebo, portable toilet 50 yards west of gazebo, shelter, tables)
  GPS(40° 23.824 N, 080° 11.075 W)
• Mill Street in Noblestown, S. Fayette Twp
  (8 parking spaces(on asphalt) + 3 handicap spaces on asphalt, light use, water fountain)
  GPS(40° 23.401 N, 080° 11.898 W)
• Station Street in Sturgeon, S. Fayette Twp
  (5 parking spaces(on asphalt) + 3 handicap spaces on asphalt, light use, water fountain, full restrooms, shelter, tables)
  GPS(40° 22.748 N, 080° 12.804 W)
• Laurel Hill Road in McDonald Borough
  (8 parking spaces(on gravel), no amenities)
• The McDonald Trail House on Rt. 980
  (40 parking spaces(on gravel), moderate use, portable toilet)
• Noblestown Road in Primrose
  (40 parking spaces(on gravel))

The portion of the trail in Washington County is being developed by the Washington County Parks & Recreation Dept. A half-mile section of the trail between the McDonald Trestle and Primrose was opened in June, 1999 (see photo).

The five miles of the Panhandle Trail in West Virginia was constructed and managed by the Weirton Parks Board. The West Virginia Rails-To-Trails Council website has a page dedicated to the West Virginia portion.

The Panhandle Trail passes under the Montour Trail's McDonald Trestle in an area between McDonald and Primrose, but the trails do not physically intersect at the Trestle. Instead; a 1.0 mile Connector between the two trails was fully completed in January 2007 and the Connector intersects the Panhandle Trail about 300 yards east of the Primrose access area. See the following link for more details Montour Panhandle Connector.

See the newsletter article from January/February, 2000 about the trail opening.
See the newsletter article from May/June, 2001 about formation of a
Panhandle Trail Association.